Access Shared Folders from a Windows Vista–Based PC

Once
folders are shared and permissions applied, you’ll need to be able to
access the shared folders and perhaps even create Desktop shortcuts to
them. Although there are lots of ways to find and access shared folders,
the best way is to click File and then click Network to select the
computer that holds the shared folders and to access them.

To find and access a shared folder on a network, follow these steps:

1.

Click Start, and click Network.

2.

In the Network window, click the computer that holds the shared folder. Figure 1 shows an example of a Network window.

Figure 1. Double-click to browse the computer that holds the shared folder.

3.

Browse through the available folders to locate the shared folder you want.

4.

Type your user name and password if prompted. Click OK.

To create a shortcut on the Desktop to the shared folder, follow these steps:

1.

Right-click the shared folder.

2.

From the drop-down list, click Send To, and then click Desktop (Create Shortcut).

Access Shared Folders from a Windows XP–Based PC

To access shared folders
on a Windows Vista–based PC from an Windows XP–based PC, click Start,
click My Network Places, and select the shared folder from the list
offered. If you do not see the shared folder you want to access, click
Add A Network Place, and browse to it.

Encrypting File System

EFS
technologies are available only in Windows Vista Business, Enterprise,
and Ultimate. If you have Home Premium, you can skip this part!

EFS
is a technology that stores data in an encrypted format. EFS doesn’t
require anything from you except that you turn it on. Files that are
encrypted will be encrypted before saving them to the hard drive, and
they will be decrypted when you need to work with them. To encrypt a
folder or a file, right-click it, click Properties, and click the
Advanced button. Select Encrypt Contents To Secure Data.